Machine for measuring, counting, and cutting off fabric.



PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

w. 0. PERRY. MACHINE FOR MEASURING, COUNTING, AND CUTTING OFBPABRIG.

4 SEBBESSHEfiT 1'.

WENTUE APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1904.

NEE

WIT 555 I PATENTBD'MAR. 20, 1906.

v R R E P 0 W MACHINE FOR MEASURING, COUNTING, AND CUTTING OFF FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTUH 7/64; AMA? WITNESSES" PATBNTED MAR. 20, 1906.

I W. 0. PERRY. V MAGHINE FOR MEASURING, COUNTING, AND. CUTTING OFF FABRIC.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

INVENTDH I 2 *7 E5 WITNESSES a2 No. 815,861. PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

W. 0. PERRY;

MAUI-I INE FOR MEASURING, COUNTING, .AND GUTTING OFF FABRIC.

' I APPLIOATION FILED we. a, 190.4.

4 slums-$112M 4.

INYEN was upon and rotating with the pulley D and drum F. The fabric (indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1) in that case passes directly from said beam over the pulley 1) into the machine.

A crank-shaped arm N, Fig. 1 is secured upon one side of the frame A by a bolt, as 72 adapted to normally hold said arm rigid and to be temporarily slackened to allow'said arm to be pivotally moved on said bolt, as may be required for purposes of adjustment, tobring its upper end nearer to or farther from the feed-wheel F. Friction-pins n n n, projecting laterally from the lower part of said arm at one side of said bolt, serve to maintain the tension on the fabric as it is being fed into the machine. A guide-arm n, mounted at the'upper end of the arm N and adjustable laterally with reference to the latter, serves to guide the fabric onto the feedwheel F. A set-screw n binds the guidearm n in position. The fabric indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1 in this case travels from the basket, engaging with the pins n n n, around the pulley F, back into engagement with the guiding-arm n, thence over the pulley p into the machine.

The outer end of each diametrically opposite arm G G of the spider is provided with an end piece K, composed of the arms K K arranged at right angles to each other, the arm K being preferably slotted and provided with a transverse stop bar or pin 7c; Said end piece K is preferably provided with oblong slots K arranged to be engaged by a bolt K, by means of which the end piece is adjustable longitudinally of its arm, Fig. 3. A holding-finger f, pivoted in said slotted arm, is actuated to swing against said stopbar or against the side of the arm K as actuated by a spring-controlled rod f, and the connected spring controlled cam latch f operating against the face ofthe rigid camf secured upon the frame of the machine at the rear of the center of the spider G. As the said cam-latchf rides up upon the face of the camf it actuates the rodf to swing the holding-finger f down against the face of the arm K to firmly clamp and hold the fabric passing over said arm and draw it through the machine as the spider G revolves. When said cam-latch passes over and out of engagement with the face of the camf said springcontrolled rod f acts to swing the holdingfinger back against the stop 7c, releasing the fabric and allowing it to drop into a basket or other receptacle placed to receive it. As the revolution of the spider is continued the neXt holding-finger and its connected actuating rod and cam-latch act in a similar manner, thus insuring a continuous feed of the fabric through the machine while it is clamped and released alternately at each half-revolution of the spider G.

Upon the side of each arm K is pivoted a cutting-blade or knife L, connected by the actuating-rod L with a spring-controlled lever-arm L pivoted upon the face of the center of the spider G. Said leverarm L is provided with a laterally-projecting arm L which by contact with a sliding bolt S, arranged to be thrown by the action of the counting mechanism, as hereinafter described, into the path of said arm L serves to actuate said lever-arm L and its connected rod and cutting-blade. Said cutting-blade is fitted upon the side of the arm K in such manner as to constitute with the forward edge of said arm a shear having one side stationary and the other movable. Such cutting-blade is made longer or shorter, according as it is to be used to cut the fabric entirely through or only to nick one edge for marking purposes.

It is understood that while I have described one holding-finger and one cuttingblade and their respective operating connections as applied to one arm of the spider G such description is to be applied to precisely similar parts applied to the diametrically opposite arm of said spider.

The intermediately-located arms G G are each provided with a transversely-dimeted bearing or guide-pin 1, adapted to serve as a support or guide for the fabric in its passage from one holding-finger to the other. The arms G G G G are preferably quadrantally arranged, so that their outer ends will be equidistant from each other. As described, the holding-finger-carrying end pieces are adjustable longitudinally of their supportingarms, so that the distance from one holdingfinger to the other embracing either guidepin 1 will be maintained at one yard. This adjustment will be useful in case it is desired to measure the fabric before all the operations and manipulations of manufacture have been completed and the stretch and shrinkage thereby removed.

In the form of counting mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1, 1 and 8 a toothed wheel W, mounted upon a shaft W operating in a portion of the frame directly in front of the spider G, is rotated by means of a spring-controlled pawl W, provided with a crank-arm, W actuated on each half-revolution of the spider G by studs G G, projecting at right angles to the faces of the spider-arms Gr G The teeth of said wheel are graduated so that the distance between each two teeth will rep-- resent one yard linear measure, and upon the face of said wheel opposite such teeth are serially-arran ed corresponding orifices or recesses serially numbered, as may be desired. In the drawings I have shown such orifices numbered from 1 to 50; but obviously any other system of numeration may be used. Pivoted upon the shaft of said Wheel is an arm 2, provided at its outer end with an integral offset pawl 3 and with a pin 4, arranged hi -ear to register with the seriall nhmbered one times at will to therebydeterminethelength of fabric't'o be measured. Iii Fig-1 8 I hate shown said pin inn agement or register with the" No; 17 orifice; and in' that case thefa'brie would b'e measured in'len'gths of seventeenyards each, as will be laterexplanted Said pin" 4* being" in eh' ag e'hieht with one of Said orifices"; the-em 2- wi1i e-ee's: eerily rotate withseidwheelejtherdiree tio'n'; When said wheel ha's by the pajwrW and its" cofinec'te'd' mechanism above de-f scribed been rotated to indicate the predete'r mined number of yards the arm 2 will strike forcibly against a pivoted latch 5;, arranged to engagethe-sprhig-eentrolle'd'holding deg 6 to withdrawthe letterand hold -it* outo'f it's en gagernent-with the teeth of the wheel W and allow the latter to be returned to its'o'rig in-a-l position by the actiorf of its controllingspringVv Fig: 8.) .In the described 'r'evereetetetien of the wheel Wan arm W projecting ,x as shown,

beyond" the perimeter 'of- 'the wheel, is brought into feteihle contact with the holding-latch 5 to thereby release the holding {dog 6 and allow it to fly-into engagement with a tooth of said wheel. These operations" are repeat; ed in each' insta nc'e asthe predeterrrhned number of' yards" of fabric ha ve 'been measured. To revent rebound or backlash of the-Wheel; arrange asp ring, as7, preferably flat and weakened slightly its central cross:

(Indicated by the dotted lines in section, SO -that it w-ill engage and holdthe' em W after it hes releasedtheheldihg-deg, as described, and stil'l allow the arm'to be carried back as "the wheel is again started I ahead on 'a new" count: Oneeeesieh when it may bedesired to run the fabrie'throwh the machine'without measuring'its leng-t the holdi'nghog 6 may bythe'latch 5' beheld out ofen agementwiththe'wheel wand the arm 1 W2, held by'theholding latch' 8; arran'ged to era'te chine without rotating the-wheel W.

"bemove'd at will into the path Of said arm. 1 The s ide'r of the machine may then be op to draw the fabric through the-ma; It wil i be noted that "the-pawl W is normally out (of I engagement with the teeth of the wheelW while the" holding dog' 6 is normally in such engagement. The result is that thewheel'is 1 moved ahead one tooth at a time by the pawl W and held by, the holding-dog, such altern'ate actions of the pawl and holding-dog con- "tinuing untilthe'latter is thrown out, as de--' scribed, by the offset arm 3,whe'nthe wheel is 5 free,-; as influenced by its controlling-spring W (shown bydotted lines,') to-rotate backward to its original-position. At the terminatio'n of-the "predetermined counting move 'ment of the wheel W the'ofls'et arm 3 at the 1 same time it knocks the holding-dog 6 out of:

engagement-with the tooth of the wheel ac- 'tu'a'te's a spring-controlledrod 9 operatively l -.conneeted-'with a double "crank-shaft '1 0, pr'o- 1 videdwith anarm llyada t'ed on the partial rotation of said c ankshaft tfopu'sh the slidable bolt S into the"'paths'ehthearmh of the cuttih blade-eperating lever-arm L to actuate the letter, as hereinhefore described. Heri bntally rej'eeting lugs G G, respecthe sairne shaft with the wheel W and rotata= ble' therewith iiionedirection only, is actuate'd'b' -a spring-controlled pawl Q mounted upon the same shaft'asthe pawl W, and actuatedjointly therewith by the"crank-arm WKean-ied on said commonshaft, and'operated, as described above, on each halfere'volution of'the spiderG bythe studs G G re= speetively; carried on the arms G G. Q The wheel Q is; rovided with teeth graduated to corres ond with the-teeth of the wheel W, so that the movementih one direct'ion of said wheels is synchronous;- the'wheel having areversing m'ovement, as described herein before; heteo'mmonte the 'wheel Q. The wheel Q is provided with a'projectin'gstud or bo'ss Q adapted on each com leted re'volu tion of said wheel to actuatethe pivoted leiv'er Q and its eonheeted spring-controlled pawl Y to partially rotate the wheel Rand bring the proximatetooth of the same into eh'gagementiwith'sard awl Y, ende on until said wheel R has'mad'ea complete'revo lution. The wheel Ris similarly provided LOO witha stud orboss R, adapted to operate the pivotedle'v'er and its-connected springcontrolled pawl R to bring the pawls B into engagement with the proximate tooth of the wheel T on each complete revolution of the wheel R. The teeth'of'the wheels R andT are-numbered. The'fi'rst tooth of the wheel R bears the samenumber as the final tooth of thew'heel Q; and theinitial tooth of the wheel Tfb'ea'rs' the'same'number as the'final tooth-of the heel'R; Provision is made'for reading said numbers through suitable openin'gs '0' in'the' face of the inelosing case.

The counting and registering'meehani'sm illustrated in Figs. '9 and 9 embodies the same principles as that illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 the parts being'arranged to aecommodate a slidablecountingbar instead of a rO- tary counting-wheel, and a spring12, adjuste ab'lyseouredtothe frame of the machine as,- for in'stancef-by a thumb-screw 14-'i's da t d-by its engagement withe bar 15, se-

oure d transversely of the sildablecounting bar, to prevent rebound of said bar in the same way that the spring 7 and arm W prevent rebound of the wheel W.

In practical operation of my invention the fabric may be taken directly from the beam X, resting upon the top of the pulleys D and .F with the ends of its shaft against the brackets J. In this case the fabric runs from said beam over the pulley p, around the pulley p, over the pulley p, around the guide-pulley p to the arm of the spider G, the rotation of which causes the holding-finger f to clamp upon the fabric and draw it through the machine as such rotation is con tinued until said holding-finger is withdrawn to release the fabric. The holding-fingers act alternately in grasping and releasing the fabric. In order to preserve and maintain a uniform tension or stretch on the fabric during its feed, the carriage I is weighted, and, engaging, as it'does, through the pulleys p with the bight or loop of the fabric depending between the pulleys p p, it will rise or fall vertically on its ways as the fabric tightens or slackens. The fabric may also be at the same time fed through the machine from a receptacle placed outside the machine, in which case it would run over the pivoted lever N and its friction-pins and guide to the pulley p, from which its course through the machine would be the same as that above described of the fabric taken from the beam X.

The counting and registering mechanisms are mounted upon the standard 19 and are readable through openings 0 0 0 in the face of the banjo or cover 20.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of means for measuring fabric, means for cutting the measured fabric into predetermined lengths, means for automatically registering the units of measurement of said fabric, means for automatically registering the linear length of fabric op' erated upon, means for feeding the fabric through the machine, means for regulating the tension on the fabric during its feed, means for maintaining uniformity of speed in the feeding mechanism with each other and with driving means for operating the whole.

2. The combination with a rotatable measuring-arm having a longitudinally-adjustable end, of pivoted clamping means, mounted upon said end, and arranged to be clamped automatically upon the fabric at a predetermined point in the revolution of said arm, and to be automatically released at another predetermined point in the revolution of said arm, means for actuating said clamping means, and means for rotating said arm.

3. The combination with a rotatable arm provided with a stationary end piece adapted to serve as one side of a shear, a pivoted blade arranged and adapted to constitute the movable half of such shear, said blade lying normally out of contact with said stationary part, means for moving said blade into cutting contact with said stationary side, and means for rotating said arm.

4. The combination of arms arranged diametrically opposite each other for synchronous rotation, pivoted clamping means carried on the end of each arm, means for actuating such clamping means on each halfrevolution of said arm, a cutting-blade pivoted upon the end of each arm, means for actuating s'aid cutting-blades at predetermined points in the revolution of said arm, and means for rotating said arm.

5. The combination of a revoluble wheel WV, provided with peripheral serially-numbered teeth, a spring-controlled actuatingpawl WV normally held out of engagement with said teeth, means for'causing said pawl to engage with said teeth successively, a springcontrolled holding-dog 6 normally held in engagement with the teeth of said wheel, means carried by said wheel for causing the disengagement of said dog at a predetermined point in the revolution of said wheel, other means carried by said wheel for causing said dog to rengage said teeth on the reverse movement of said wheel, and means for causing reverse movement of said wheel.

6. The combination of the revoluble toothedv wheel W, the arm 2 carried by said wheel and having the offset pawl 3, the spring-controlled rod 9, the crank-shaft 10 providedwith an arm 11, operatively connected with said rod, and a slidable bolt S, and with means for revolving said wheel.

7. The combination of a revoluble wheel W, means for rotating said wheel in one direction, other means for reversing the movement of said wheel, an arm W carried by said wheel and projecting beyond the perimeter thereof, a pivoted spring-controlled holding-dog 6, a pivoted holding-latch 5, and a spring 7 having a weakened central crosssection and adapted by the engagement of its free end with said arm W to prevent rebound of the wheel W, and to yield, on the direct revolution of said wheel to release said arm W. p

8. The combination of the cone-pulleys C, C, the belt 6, and means for driving the same, the carriage H, slidable upon ways H, H", H H carrying the guide-rolls, d, d, the pawls d d slidable on said ways, the shipping-rods, d d pivoted on said pawls, ad-

justable stops 8 s, s, s, the endless chain d, the pulley d, the sprocket-wheel, d operatively connected with the shaft of the conepulley C, the weighted carriage 1, arranged for vertical movement in either direction to actuate the rods d d, and means for supporting the whole.

9. The combination with the frame of a machine for measuring fabric of an ad ustable arm, N, provided with friction-pins, a,

n n, at near its lower end, adapted to main ta1n tens1on on the fabrlc 1n its feed move ment, and with a laterally=adjustable guidto be moved pivotally thereon for purposes of adjustment. v

10. In a machine for measuring fabric the combination of a standard, A, flange-pulleys, p, p, mounted on said standard, guides,

't, 'b', mounted on said standard parallel with the same and with each other, and a weighted carriage, I, slidable on said guides, and carrying a flange-pulley 10, adapted to engage with a loop of fabric between the pulleys, p, p, and by its sliding movement tomaintain a uniform strain on the fabric during its passage through the machine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. PERRY. Witnesses:

HENRY MARSH, Jr., W. FULLERTON BLAINE. 

